Model of Intuitive Morality and Exemplars

MIME

Ron TamboriniMichigan State University

Past Research Media & Morality

How are media and morality related? Research is limited by conceptions of morality

Most studies use a rationalist perspective Underplays intuition and emotion Entertainment theory highlights these The MIME was a response to this

MIME’s theoretical foundation

MIME is a reciprocal model of influence Multi-stage model: short & long-term influence Short-term based on two theories:

• Exemplification Theory − Media display powerful & frequent moral

exemplars− Moral exemplars effect salience of different

moral values• Moral Foundations Theory (MFT)

− Identifies content relevant to moral judgments, and mechanisms that shape moral judgments

MIME’s theoretical foundation

Exemplification theory (Zillmann, 2002) Two things increase media’s effect on

judgment• Recent &frequent use of specific moral exemplars• Concrete and highly emotional exemplars

− iconic images are particularly powerful− influence increases with time

MIME’s theoretical foundation

Moral foundations theory (Haidt 2001) Instinct tells us right and wrong Dual-process logic (Intuitive &Rational systems)

• Intuitive is a fast gut response (default mode)• Rational is deliberation when things are complex

Five instincts (domains) govern moral judgment• Care/Harm• Fairness• Ingroup loyalty• Authority• Purity

Figure 1: A model of intuitive morality and exemplars (MIME). aAffirming media content is defined as content designed with the intention that it will be perceived by target audience members as adhering to their overall moral domain system, either through automatic appraisal or controlled reappraisal. bDomain salience and exemplar salience only lead to controlled reappraisal when domains are in conflict with each other or when exemplars are difficult to categorize as fitting within a specific domain. cBoth automatic appraisal and controlled reappraisal produce positively valued responses when an individual perceives that content adheres to their overall moral domain system .

Note: This model is taken from: Tamborini, R. (in press). Model of Intuitive Morality and Exemplars. In R. Tamborini (Ed), Media and the Moral Mind. London, UK: Routledge.

Automatic Appraisal c

• Attention to salient  domain/exemplar content 

• Evaluation (like/hate) based   on dominantly salient content

 

Controlled Reappraisalc

• Rational response (like/hate) based on accept/reject need to violate one domain in order to   conform to another

Selective Exposure

to liked content

Production of content affirming salient domains

 and domain exemplars

 

a

Cultural Environment • domain reinforcing • domain exemplars   • domain relevant

Exposure to media content affirming salient domainsand domain exemplars a • entertainment, news, etc.

   

ExemplarSalience b

Domain Salience b

 

 Stage 1    Stage 2 Stage 4

  Stage 5

 

  Stage 6

Stage 3

 

Model of Intuitive Morality and Exemplars (MIME)

MIME Research

Examples of research on the MIME Repeated exposure’s impact on domain salience Impact of domain salience on

• Approval of character behavior • Enjoyment of narrative outcomes

Automatic versus rational processing Domain impact on selective game play style Patterns in the production of domain adhering

content for media produced for different cultures

Media and the Moral Mind

 

 

Thank You

Thank you for listening!

Ron Tamborinitamborin@msu.edu

Also thanks to…Allison Eden, Matt Grizzard, Robert Lewis,

Sujay Prabhu, Nick Bowman, & Rene Weber